Chapter 3

The tea served refreshed Inspector Bakshi’s mood. He took a couple of sips paused and then a couple of sips more. He kept the half-filled cup on the table and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.

“So Mr.Khanna first of all I am sorry for your loss. We will get to the core of this and get to the culprit. In relation to the case I need to ask you a few questions. May I?”

“Yes Inspector” Aditya said keeping his cup down on the table.

Nek Ram was the only one still sipping the tea with a slurping sound and alternately picking up the biscuits which had been served along with. Inspector Bakshi looked at him sighed and looked back at Aditya.

“So Mr.Khanna…”

“You can call me Aditya”

“Aditya, your father informed us you were on an official trip to Kolkata?”

“Yes Inspector. I had a conference there which I attended”

“When did you leave for Kolkata?”

“A couple of days back, I had to take the train since there were no flight tickets available”

“Can we get a copy of the tickets if you still have them?”

“As a matter of fact I do. I had stuffed it in the front pocket of my suitcase and believe it is still there.”

“And you came back by train?”

“Yes. I was actually in the middle of my official visit when I was informed about the incident. I had to cut short the trip and return back. I have the tickets of the return journey also. Will provide you with that too.”

“Great. Which Hotel were you staying at?”

“I was put up at the Hilton. You can check with them on the reservations”

“Can I ask you some personal questions Aditya?”

“Yes Inspector”

“How was your relationship with Neha? How many years back did you get married?”

Aditya paused for a moment.

“I have been married for the last two years. The relationship was good. It was a love marriage. I knew Neha from college, the romance started then and flourished and we finally got married.”

“Oh, it was a love marriage. So the love was still there in the marriage I suppose”

Aditya looked at Inspector Bakshi and said “What do you mean by that Inspector?”

“It’s just that marriage is like a fading fragrance. Initially its bliss but gradually with time, circumstances, and other factors the fragrance seems to start fading. I have been married for ten years and Nek Ram has also been married for long”

Nek Ram who had moved from the biscuits to the cookies was caught unawares

“Yes Sir…..I have been married for close to eight years now….”

Inspector Bakshi shook his head and turned back to Aditya.

“So that was what I was saying. Love marriages have a proven record of crumbling faster than the arranged ones. How was yours?”

“Inspector Neha and I were madly in love with each other “he paused for a moment “Infact we were planning for a child this year. Circumstances had changed over the years but I believe we were still very much in love.”

“You two belonged to the same caste?”

“No, I am Punjabi and Neha was Sindhi”

“Didn’t you come across any challenges in convincing your families?”

“We had but eventually they gave in and the marriage was consented”

“Did you accept any dowry?”

“Inspector I think the line of questioning you are following is a bit offending. Am I supposed to answer everything you ask?”

“Technically yes. Look it would help us in solving the case faster and catching the murderer who killed your beloved wife…..you would want that too, right?”

Aditya hesitated for a moment “Definitely Inspector. I will answer the questions to the best of my ability. No we had not taken any dowry. Both our families belong to the rich, influential class. We had all we needed. There was no question of dowry being taken.”

“Thanks Aditya. At this point of time these are all the questions I had. I will definitely come back to you at a later stage of the investigation…and yes you and your family members are not allowed to leave the city until permission is approved”

“But Inspector I have official commitments which needs to be catered to.”

“You will have to figure that out Aditya”

Inspector Bakshi and Nek Ram got up to leave. They took a couple of steps and stopped. Inspector Bakshi turned around.

“One last question Aditya before I leave, was there an extra-marital angle involved in this?”

Their eyes met, each trying to read the others

“No Inspector”

“Thanks. Is your father available? I needed to have a word with him”

“I’ll call him downstairs”

Aditya turned and walked up the stairs. Inspector Bakshi looked at the beautiful wall hangings decorated around the house. His eyes met with Raju’s who was dusting one of the wall paintings. They held each other’s stare for a minute. There was something in them which Inspector Bakshi wanted to question but at that moment Mr.Khanna walked down the stairs. He must have been taking a nap, obvious from his eyes.

“Sorry to disturb you Mr.Khanna. I am leaving right now since I have some errands to be done. I will be coming back in the evening. I needed to ask you a few questions as part of the regular investigation. I hope you do not have any objections to that”

“Not surely. I am available in the evening after my regular stroll. 6 o’clock should be perfect.”

“And yes. I did inform Aditya that your family cannot leave town till the investigation is over. Part of the regular process I hope you understand”

“That’s okay Inspector. We are available”

He fished in his pocket, rummaging and took out the inhaler.

“Mr.Khanna is that a regular habit of yours or just a seasonal effect?”

“You can say both. Somehow I seem to have been addicted to it for years “he said sheepishly “But I am trying to cut the habit. I know it’s not good for health”

Inspector Bakshi and Nek Ram walked to the Gypsy parked outside the gate. They turned around and drove across the colony to the main gate. He looked at the bungalows and wondered “Money cannot buy you everything….or maybe”. Ramdin was perched on his stool at the gate. He smiled at them and saluted. They drove out to the main road and joined the chaos of the city traffic.

“Nek Ram. How long does it take to reach Kolkata by train?”

“Sir, I think close to 24 hours. I have a relative there from my wife’s side. He does visit us often and the train takes more than that if delayed, but that should be the ideal time.”

“So today is the 3^rd of April and Aditya took the train to Kolkata on the 1^st of April, we have to verify the credentials of the tickets, he must have reached there on the 2^nd April and as per him the conference was scheduled on the same date. He gets a call in the middle of the trip informing of the death of his wife, takes the train back on the 2^nd April and reaches here on the 3^rd April. Number 1: Why did he not take a flight? He did mention he did not get any tickets and had to travel by train, which might be a vague possibility. There are so many flights nowadays and it’s difficult not to get tickets for a flight. Number 2: Why does it all seem planned so meticulously? He is scheduled for a conference, is out of town when the crime takes place, and comes back after it. Then there are the versions of Ramdin and Gopal which signifies that both might have had relationships outside. I am not jumping to conclusions, a male can have a female friend and a female can have the same. Nek Ram do you have any female friends?”

“Sirji, are you kidding. My wife would fry me alive if she found me being friendly to another woman”

Inspector Bakshi looked at the inhaler and the shoe sole in the evidence bags.

“Mr.Khanna uses an inhaler and we found another one below Neha’s bedroom window, the window which was used as a getaway. Either it might have dropped out of his pocket while he was watering the plants in the evening, which I assume he does, or it belongs to the murderer who might have dropped it while jumping down from the window. Mr.Khanna is around 60 years old. Would he have that agility? And the purpose is something which might be questionable.”

“Now we have this Raju character who has to be probed. There is something which he is hiding or wants to share with us. I could sense something being conveyed through his eyes. Nek Ram did you get his details too?”

“Yes Sir”

“We need to question him not in the house but at the Police Station. I am sure he might not want to disclose what he wants to, in front of the family. Mrs. Khanna, Aditya’s mother, do you think she needs to be probed?”

“Don’t know Sir. Till now she has been silent all along, but I guess we are questioning all then she should be also included”

“Hmmm, valid point. She seemed to me an amicable, pleasant lady, but at this point anyone can be a suspect. Let’s go home and take some rest. I don’t think our tired minds are providing any alternatives at the moment. Do pick me up at 4:00pm”

“Sure Sir”

 

The calling bell rang and Gayathri opened the door.

“Good evening Ma’am! Is Sir awake?” Nek Ram was standing at the door.

“He just woke. How are you Nek Ram? Come inside. I have prepared some hot tea and samosas. Try some of them”

“I am okay Ma’am. I and Sir are busy on this new case hence you see us working more than the shifts”

“Yes I know, he did mention it to me”

Inspector Bakshi walked into the room in his shorts and T-Shirt, still looking sleepy

“Nek Ram did you catch up on some sleep?”

“I did Sir but was not deep and useful which it is usually. Needed to be on my toes since I was supposed to wake up and pick you up”

“Good. Anyways enjoy your tea and samosas while I get ready. Did you check on the Forensic Team? When would the reports be ready?”

“That should be in by tomorrow afternoon”

Inspector Bakshi walked out of the room and Nek Ram occupied himself with watching highlights of the India- Australia One Day Series.

Fifteen minutes later they were speeding towards Anand Niketan, it was 6:15pm by the clock and Mr.Khanna should be available as informed. The Gypsy was greeted by Gopal at the gate.

“How are you Gopal?”

“Good Sir. Did you find any lead in the case?”

“Not yet. I would need you for questioning. Nek Ram will inform you the timings and you have to be at the Police Station”

“Definitely Sir. Just ensure it does not correspond with my shift timings”

They parked at an empty space in front t of the Bungalow between a BMW 7 Series and Audi Q7.

“Nek Ram be cautious while you park. If you damage any of these vehicles the Government Coffer will be empty by a hefty sum” he laughed

“I know Sir. These dammed vehicles cost an arm and leg”

They walked to the Bungalow and were greeted by Mr.Khanna who was watering the plants beneath Neha’s bedroom window.

“Good Evening Mr.Khanna”

“Oh! Good Evening Inspector and to you too Nek Ram”

“It seems you water these plants regularly?”

“Yes I do so, I love gardening and collecting rare herbs. My plan is to open a Flower Nursery”

“Good to hear that. With the diminishing greenery in Delhi and rising pollution levels your thought process is on the correct track”

“Let’s go inside. I believe Sulekha must have prepared some tea”

They walked to the hall and seated themselves. Inspector Bakshi’s eyes were searching for Raju, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“So Inspector you wanted to ask me some questions. Please go ahead”

“Yes sure. Mr.Khanna Aditya is your only son and Neha was your only Daughter-in-law. It must be quite a loss”

“Yes, she was my only Daughter-in-law. We were very much attached to her…”

“Did she belong to the same caste?”

“No, we are Punjabis and she belonged to a Sindhi family”

“Didn’t you have any objections to the marriage?”

“Sulekha and I were initially against the idea of an inter-caste marriage. We do come from an orthodox family and wanted Aditya to marry into a Punjabi family. Neither were Neha’s parents the Mulchandanis consented for this marriage. Both parties did have their inhibitions and differences and it took close to 6 months to have everything sorted. Gradually we gave in to Aditya and Neha’s demands and they got married. Both were a happy couple until….”

“Until what?”

“Well I am not sure if I should be sharing this but there were a lot of rumor mongering about them. They had been a happy couple but gradually differences had creeped in. We did not meddle in their personal matters, but things started going wayward. There was a lot of talk about an extra marital affair. Sulekha and I had to face a lot of shame and awkwardness in the society. We had to speak with them collectively and tried to sort the matter, but I guess things had reached an extent where it was irreparable. I just wished that all of this would come to an end……” Inspector Bakshi noticed a trace of anger in his eyes.

“End as in?”

“I don’t know. We are a respectable family and firstly we were against this marriage, but came to terms with it considering the happiness of our son. But the way things had been going we had lost our prestige and face in the society. No amount of counselling could help them out and Neha was not ready to divorce Aditya. Do things had reached a deadlock.”

“Did Aditya take any professional help to have matters sorted out?”

“I am not aware of that, but all our and the family’s efforts had gone futile”

“As per Aditya there were no problems between him and Neha?”

“Yes he does not admit to the same”

“So on the night of the crime, you and Mrs.Khanna heard a scream and came rushing to Neha’s room to find her gesturing towards the window. How long do you think Neha had been screaming before you heard it?”

“I am not sure about that. I had mentioned to you I am on medications for a bad cold. I had taken Citrazen which had made me very sleepy. Out of the slumber I had heard Neha’s voices and that when I woke up Sulekha and we rushed to her room”

“Mr.Khanna does Mrs.Khanna also sleep very tight?”

“She generally does. Why do you ask?”

“I was wondering if you were on medications then most probably you did not hear Neha’s call, but if she was not on medications then she should have heard Neha much earlier, and before you.”

Mrs.Khanna walked in with a tray of biscuits and tea. She greeted them and turned around and left.

“I am not sure why you are asking these questions Inspector. Are you saying that I am a suspect in this case?” Mr.Khanna said a bit agitated.

“I am not saying anything at the moment and my apologies until the case is solved everyone is a suspect for us and we expect your full co-operation.”

Mr.Khanna sighed “I understand Inspector and you can expect our full co-operation. Sulekha is generally a deep sleeper and it might be possible she did not hear Neha since the door was also closed”

Inspector Bakshi’s phone rang. It was Gayathri. His son Vipul had got hurt while playing the local football match. She wanted him to come home since he was needed to be taken to a Doctor.

“Mr.Khanna I have to leave at the moment. There is a personal emergency. I will probably come back some other time, if you don’t mind we needed to ask a few questions to Mr.Khanna also?”

“Not an issue Inspector. Do inform me when you would be coming. I will make sure both of us are available”

“By the way I do not see Raju, your domestic help?”

“Oh yes I forgot to mention that Raju has been missing from the house since the time you left in the morning. His phone has been switched off and we cannot trace him. We would like to file a missing person report. Would you be doing that?”

“Hmmm I guess yes, Nek Ram can do that “Inspector Bakshi said.

He went outside in the lawn and Nek Ram took Raju’s details. He lit a cigarette and blew rings of smoke in the air. He was in deep thought. Mr.Khanna and Nek Ram came to the door in sometime.

“Inspector let me show you the way outside”

“We can go…”Inspector Bakshi started

“Not an issue”

They walked to the gate and they walked to the Gypsy.

“I was mentioning to Nek Ram when we came to be careful about not leaving any scratch marks on these two vehicles, they are expensive ones and our salaries are too meagre to pay for anything damaged”

Mr.Khanna laughed “Oh them, they belong to me and my son. You can repay me by solving the case and catching the culprit”

All three of them laughed.

“So good day to you Inspector and you too Nek Ram” Mr.Khanna said and turned back.

There was a car speeding down the lane and he was right in its path.

“Mr.Khanna watch out!” Inspector Bakshi shouted.

Mr.Khanna looked up at the car and froze for a moment and then in a flash made a short sprint and the car missed him by inches. Inspector Bakshi and Nek Ram kept looking on. If either of them had been in the car’s way would have surely got hit and as a matter of fact Mr.Khanna would have been too, but there was a sudden spurt of adrenaline rush in him and he had moved with the agility of a 16 year old!

“These maniacs! I will surely have a word with the colony chairman about this” he smiled and went back into the house.

Inspector Bakshi and Nek Ram kept looking on!!

To be continued.......!!